Just bought A05 for a 2nd computer I am building with all

[VEFF]

I just purchased (ordered) a CenDyne/Pioneer A05 DVD burner, for a second computer (I have a DRU-500A in primary PC) I am building with all the extra hardware I have accumulated
from upgrades and Hot Deals the past six months or so.

Any media or software tips would be appreciated.
I like using Record Now Max with my DRU-500A.

I understand that the latest A05 firmware allows 2X burning on the Riteks
just like the A04 does.

[msuiter]

dude, you got enough burners? your tower must be as tall as shaq!

[VEFF]

dude, you got enough burners? your tower must be as tall as shaq!

Actually my main case is a MID tower, but thanks to a great design, it can accomodate up to SIX 5.25" external (or internal of course) devices

I am putting some of them (not currently installed) in my second case.

I had old mice, case, keyboards etc., and got so many hot deals on CD and DVD burners, scanners, printer, hard drive, monitor etc. this year and last that I only need:
- a new CPU/mobo (was going to upgrade soon anyway),
- a PowerSupplyUnit
- and some RAM
to build a full second computer with monitor, CD and DVD burners,
DVD-ROM drive, scanner and printer, etc...

Oh, I also will want to get a wireless PC card soon, to complete the setup...
I may also get another case (same model) for about $50, since my second case "only" allows three 5.25" drives

[VEFF]

dude, you got enough burners? your tower must be as tall as shaq!

I just had to edit my signature and remove the 12X DVD-ROM coz the addition of the A05 made the sig too long

[boblx2]

Well I bought one of the first A05's on the market and have not had much good luck with it. I wish I had bought two Sony drives. The only media that my A05 burns flawlessly is the Ritek 4X media. I have had limited success with some Princo blue colored -R/W media but that is all. I have tried lots of other media none of which worked. Either the drive would tell me to insert the disc (after I had already inserted it) or if if accepted it the disc would wind up being a coaster that nothing would play.
I have read on other forums that Pioneer could not get the royalties that they wanted so their drive will not accept cheap media. I have not confirmed that however. But I wish you all the luck with it, maybe your drive has later firmware of something, I hope so.

Good luck with it..........

[VEFF]

Well I bought one of the first A05's on the market and have not had much good luck with it. I wish I had bought two Sony drives. The only media that my A05 burns flawlessly is the Ritek 4X media. I have had limited success with some Princo blue colored -R/W media but that is all. I have tried lots of other media none of which worked. Either the drive would tell me to insert the disc (after I had already inserted it) or if if accepted it the disc would wind up being a coaster that nothing would play.
I have read on other forums that Pioneer could not get the royalties that they wanted so their drive will not accept cheap media. I have not confirmed that however. But I wish you all the luck with it, maybe your drive has later firmware of something, I hope so.

Good luck with it..........

Thanks for all the valuable info.

Apparently Prodisc 1X discs work. Those can't be too expensive, but probably can't be found easily...(at least not outside of certain markets/countries.
Also Ritek 1X RITEKG02 can burn at 2X, but it seems everyone is selling the (newer?) G03?

I think Princo discs work, but I want to burn at 2X at least.
If worst comes to worst, I will buy some 4X media (although I mentally justified the cost of a, not really, necessary 2nd 4X DVD burner by saying to myself that I could burn on both drives simultaneously (on diff't PCs) at 2X (achieving 4X) and save $85 per 100 pack of DVD-Rs)...

[VEFF]

I burned my first disc on my A05 last night, right after installing it.
I used Stomp RN Max 4.5 to burn a camcorder film and got my old Princo true 2X DVD-R to burn at 2X.
It played back fine on home DVD player.
These cost me $1.99 each a few months ago.
I have firmware 1.0

I am going to order their unbranded counterpart, which cost a bit over a buck each, depending on quantity. Someone has used those with no problem at 2X.

This is the best compromise, so I can use some with my DRU-500A (1.0f) and some with my A05 (1.00).
I may upgrade the Pioneer firmware to 1.21, but I am worried that it might do more harm than good.
It is *supposed* to improve wriitng quality etc., but I have read some stories where it did more harm than good with some media.

[boblx2]

Right, I have an A05 with version 1.0 too. I understand that version 1.21 was released to inhance compatability but when I tried to upgrade the firmware the utility told me I had the latest firmware and would not upgrade the drive.
It does burn Ritek at 4X but no success with any other media.

........

[VEFF]

Right, I have an A05 with version 1.0 too. I understand that version 1.21 was released to inhance compatability but when I tried to upgrade the firmware the utility told me I had the latest firmware and would not upgrade the drive.
It does burn Ritek at 4X but no success with any other media.

........

Try the Princo 2X. I, and others, have tried them...
They burn at 2X with both my DRU-500A and A05 (only one disc tried so far).

[boblx2]

I hope so. I mistakenly put at TDK 2X disc in my A05, thinking it was a Ritek 4X, you guessed it another coaster. That drive refuses to burn anything but Ritek media!
I may try the Princos though because the only other media that has ever worked in it were Princo -R/W media.

Thanks for the info.........

[yamawho]

I got myself a A05 this weekend.

The only thing I was able to burn were some cdr's since I could not find any dvd media around.

I got my hands on Princo dvd-r and Verbatim dvd-rw today.

I will try tonight.

[yamawho]

Total letdown.

It's like revisiting 1995 and all the crap I went through to burn cd's.

I returned it. DVD burners and media are not ready for the market.

I will wait for the Sony to be avaiable and then maybe.

[VEFF]

I am 2 for 2 with my A05 regarding brands.
I keep reading from people on several sites' forums
that it doesn't burn much.

I have burned several Princo 2X (media ID TDKG02)
and one KHypermedia 1X (media ID = CMC00RG200)
so far without probs.

Stomp RecordNow Max 4.5

Are others using different burning software perhaps?

[boblx2]

I have not tried Princo but the Meritline and the Hyper Micro media both worked on my A05. I have found lots of 2X and 1X media though that did not work at all. Either it was rejected totally or it burned coasters that nothing could read. That is what happens when I try to use the TDK 2X media.

Keep trying I am sure you will find some that won't work. I had no trouble. BTW none of them will burn at 4X on my Sony drive. It is not even at the same site so it is not influenced by this system. But I seem to have a workable solution until a fix comes along. My A05 burns the above mentioned media quite nicely at 4X and the Sony burns everything else. So I can just wait until a fix comes from somewhere.

Thanks for the nformation.........

[VEFF]

I have not tried Princo but the Meritline and the Hyper Micro media both worked on my A05. I have found lots of 2X and 1X media though that did not work at all. Either it was rejected totally or it burned coasters that nothing could read. That is what happens when I try to use the TDK 2X media.

Keep trying I am sure you will find some that won't work. I had no trouble. BTW none of them will burn at 4X on my Sony drive. It is not even at the same site so it is not influenced by this system. But I seem to have a workable solution until a fix comes along. My A05 burns the above mentioned media quite nicely at 4X and the Sony burns everything else. So I can just wait until a fix comes from somewhere.

Thanks for the nformation.........

You're welcome Bob.
I have to run home, so I can't leave a full reply:
I am curious as to which burning software you are using?
Someone on another forum today mentioned that he had no problem burning TDK 2X on his A05.
I have none to test...

[boblx2]

Well I just received my DVD-ON media. All it appears to be is Ritek 4X G04 media that costs more. According to DVD Decryptor that is what it is. And it also burns at 2X in my Sony DRU-500A just like all of the rest of the so-called 4X media.
Right now I am having another guy burn one of them in his Sony, which has not been down graded to 1.0d, to see if it burns at 4X. I am confident that it will not.
But it is not wasted (although it costs $.62 a disc more then Hyper Micro) because my A05 will probably burn them since they are actually Ritek 4X discs.

So since I think I have tried all of the "fixes" anyone has recommended to me for this Sony drive I think it is time I complained to Sony since it does not seem to do what it was advertised to do.

................

[dodecahedron]

So since I think I have tried all of the "fixes" anyone has recommended to me for this Sony drive I think it is time I complained to Sony since it does not seem to do what it was advertised to do.

good luck and keep us posted!